United States: Woodbridge Township high school authorities have revealed that one of their students is infected with tuberculosis in a message sent to education community members. 

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The Colonia High School Principal Christopher Chieral stated, “At this time, the student is being treated and is doing well,” in a letter dated March 14. 

The school officials are making efforts along with the Middlesex County Office of Health Services to reveal students and staff who might have been exposed to the student. The letter added that anyone who is identified as a “close contact” would be screened for the disease. 

About the disease 

Proper treatment becomes critical for survival from the bacterial illness of tuberculosis. The county health services refused to provide any statement at that time, gothamist.com reported. 

A positive tuberculosis case occurs at a time when the United States and New Jersey have been facing growing tuberculosis diagnoses since 2020. 

Most states showed rising tuberculosis case counts during 2023 based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Shocking stats revealed by the CDC 

CDC reports show that New Jersey experienced an 18.7% rise in tuberculosis diagnoses, which brought the total cases from 289 to 343 in 2023. 

New Jersey maintains a tuberculosis case rate of 3.7 per 100,000 people, which exceeds the national average for 2023. 

According to CDC data, 8.3 tuberculosis cases per 100,000 persons appeared in New York City at this time, gothamist.com reported. 

The figures indicate that New York, outside of the city, had 1.9 tubercular cases for every 100,000 people during that time frame. 

The primary site of tuberculosis infection is the lungs, although the bacterium causes damage across various body organs, which include kidneys, liver, heart, bones, joints, and blood vessels. 

An individual can contract TB after an infected patient coughs sneezes, or spits through airborne transmission. 

United States: Dengue fever cases affecting US travelers show increasing numbers, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expect will continue their upward trend this year. 

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The United States recorded a “record number” of dengue fever cases in travelers during the previous year when 3,484 people tested positive, marking an 84% increase from the previous year. 

A warning issued by the CDC stated, “This trend is expected to continue with increased dengue activity in endemic areas in 2025,” the Hill reported. 

Some sections of both the United States and worldwide areas maintain high rates of dengue fever transmission, while the US territories of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, along with multiple parts of the Americas, experience elevated disease activity monthly. 

The increased temperature of spring and summer makes it easier for dengue to be transmitted, thus raising the risk of travelers getting infected with the disease. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) confirms that the virus cases have seen consistent growth patterns during the previous five years, mostly throughout the American continent. 

WHO records rising cases 

During 2024, the World Health Organization recorded 7.6 million viral cases, resulting in 3.4 million confirmed infections, exceeding 16,000 severe infections and 3,000 reported virus-related deaths. 

The outbreak threshold for dengue fever persisted in Puerto Rico starting from February of the previous year. 

The Puerto Rican authorities issued a public health emergency declaration, which has remained in force since March 2024. 

According to the CDC, the island documented 6,291 dengue cases that hospitalized more than 52 percent of patients, with 13 deaths confirmed in 2024. 

An outbreak of dengue was declared in August 2024 on US Virgin Islands and this declaration continues to be active. 

As reported early in March 2025, the total outbreak cases identified in 2024 reached 208, and case counts in 2025 stood at 30. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted that Florida, together with California and New York, reported the most dengue cases to their records during 2024. 

United States: Experts note a ‘growing threat’ from the deadly West Nile virus because European birds continue to drop dead since the virus reached European soil. 

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Mosquitoes transmitted the disease throughout Europe last year, which caused death among five Spanish and fourteen Greek citizens. 

Doctors predict a similar death toll from West Nile virus analogous to the Usutu virus since they belong to the same viral cluster. 

Since 2018, the spread of Usutu within the bird population has resulted in a 40% reduction in the blackbird population. 

According to Arran Folly from the UK’s Animal and Plant Health Agency, “If that amount of humans dropped dead in London, you would know about it quickly.” 

“The same mosquitoes that can transmit Usutu typically can transmit West Nile, and the same birds which act as hosts [for Usutu] can also act as hosts of West Nile, he noted, as metro.co.uk reported. 

How this virus spreads? 

Mosquito-borne viruses represent an expanding danger to people and animals throughout the national territory. 

This development became the initial instance of a mosquito-borne ailment passing between animals through bites in UK territory. 

The transmission path of West Nile virus matches the virus spread of the Usutu virus under equivalent environmental needs. 

A 71-year-old male patient with intensive care needs entered hospital admission at Seville to become the most recent fatality in Spain. 

Both victims resided in Coria del Rio, while the age of the second remains unknown as the location is situated on the banks of the Guadalquivir River. 

The hospital admitted Granada Romero Ruiz when she reached 86 years old before her July 19 death that occurred on July 11. 

According to Antonio Pineda, her mother was healthy prior to the mosquito attack. 

La Puebla del Rio Town Hal stated on X, “We deeply regret the death of Granada, affected by West Nile virus. We will work tirelessly so that all public providers do the utmost against this virus and there is a permanent strategy in place to tackle mosquitos,” metro.co.uk reported. 

The two other victims resided between Dos Hermanas and Coria del Rio. 

The Spanish medical authorities issued virus alerts to foreign visitors who planned to visit Spain throughout the previous few years.